Comics, Movies, Video Games, and More

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is not universally accepted as a good movie. Critics didn't particularly like it for the reasons you'd expect, but it was the fans that truly spoke out. I enjoyed it, but I acknowledge it didn't feel like a traditional G.I. Joe story. (Cobra Commander rises...then gets thrown in jail five minutes later.) Despite feedback being largely negative, it did pretty well in the box office. Still, no one imagined it would actually get a sequel. Directed by Jon Chu, (whose filming credits include Step Up 2 and Justin Bieber: Never Say Never) Retaliation was a surprise announcement. It came out four years after the first one, quite the gap. Many thought it thought it should have been a reboot as opposed to a sequel, but in many ways it's a reboot while being a sequel. The cast is different, with only three returning members from Rise. It dropped the whole "power suits" from the previous movie in favor of a more traditional military approach. Retaliation is definitely more of a G.I. Joe story than Rise of Cobra, with however some questionable decisions. It's still a very fun movie with more to like than dislike.

The story continues where the previous movie left off. Zartan is impersonating the President of the United States as part of Cobra's plan. The Joes are sent into a trap where Duke is killed off. Meanwhile Storm Shadow manages to get inside the jail where Cobra Commander and Destro is being held, and frees the former. (Sadly the Commander has no use for Destro now.) They escape, and now the leader of Cobra plans to take over the world. Obviously Director Chu knew this is a G.I. Joe movie and not a humanized version of Transformers which the previous film thought it was sometimes. The fun tone is still present, but with a more military perspective. Cobra Commander has his traditional (and awesome) 80's helmet, and threats involving politics is used. But, despite all these right moves, there are some questionable things.

Duke, portrayed by Channing Tatum, the leader of G.I. Joe, is killed off very early in the movie. You would think he would have shown up later on, but he didn't. Duke is one of the most well known G.I. Joes, right next to Snake Eyes and Cobra Commander. The previous movie built him up from being a rookie to expert, Here he's leader, but we never got that feel. So in my opinion, that was a mistake in killing him off. It was a shock, but not a good one. Another controversial move was Destro, because he was 'laid off' by Cobra Commander. He had a zero presence in the film. It could be an interesting thing however if he's used in the sequel to go against the Commander, which would make up for his lack of appearing.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson plays Roadblock, whom serves as leader in the wake of Duke's death. He surprisingly does a good job in the acting department. Adrianne Palicki plays Lady Jae, whom takes the place of Scarlet as the primary female lead. I would say she did a solid job. Of course with such a lovely actress the film shows her off since it knows the audience is going to like her. (Flint's scene comes to mind immediately...unnecessary eye candy.) As for Flint, he's alright. He's pretty much just there. Bruce Willis as Joseph Colton, the original G.I. Joe, was heavily marketed in the trailers and TV spots. (How many times did you we see the scene of him shooting from the back of a pickup truck?) Despite appearing everywhere in the marketing, he actually doesn't appear all that much. His scenes are pretty cool however, and not overly cardboard as the trailers would have you believe. He adds to the overall fun atmosphere of the story. Ray Park returns Snake Eyes. Nothing to complain about here, another perfect portrayal of the fan favorite character.

We can't forget the highlight of the film, Cobra Commander. I was disappointed to hear that Joseph Gordon-Levitt wouldn't be reprising his role, but Luke Bracey does a solid job. This is the Cobra Commander we all know and love from the cartoons and comics. He's not cheesy however, he's a very good villain that actually never cracked under pressure. He should have appeared more and gotten one final scene after he escaped onto a helicopter. Zartan was a blast to watch as the fake president. The writing is very good especially at some points, such as when he says to the real president "your approval ratings went up," it's something older viewers can have a good chuckle with. Byung-hun Lee returns as Storm Shadow, another solid job. His deciding to team up with the Joes was kinda fast, but handled well. Other characters include Firefly and Jinx. The latter was kinda thrown in with no real character development, she barely had any lines. Firefly on the other hand while being a minor villain got some decent lines and scenes.

The action segments are a whole lot of fun. The Snake Eyes/Storm Shadow fight was great. There's a lot of military based action, which is good since this is G.I. Joe. A stand out special effects driven scene was when the nuclear missile decimated London, it was truly something to watch the city blow up like that. It makes the viewer kinda scared inside to see what a nuclear weapon can do. Besides that grim scene, the film never leaves its light atmosphere. One of my personal favorite scenes was the meeting between world leaders. It was almost a parody of how these meetings go. All of them unleashed nuclear missiles...the whole world could have been destroyed! It's a scary thought, but kinda funny in the context of the movie. (Also North Korea's leader constantly being picked out by Zartan was hilarious.) The soundtrack is pretty solid, plenty of techno-rock themes.

Overall, Retaliation is definitely the G.I. Joe movie fans were looking after after The Rise of Cobra. It's more military based with actual political plot points being used. (Many of which are basically parodies.) Duke being killed off is questionable, since he's pretty much the face of G.I. Joe. Cobra Commander is handled extremely well, despite not appearing all that much. (Villain of 2013? I think so.) It's not a perfect movie, but it's fun and definitely worthy of the G.I. Joe name. I look forward to seeing what they'll do with a sequel.

Saturday, July 27, 2013

I remember a few years when I first discovered Gamera the Brave. I was quite shocked to discover a new, modern Gamera movie. Thankfully Netflix had it. With the Blu-ray recently released, it was time for another watch. The gap between this and the previous movie, Awakening of Iris, was pretty big being 7 years. Kaneko had finished his spectacular Heisei trilogy, presumably ending the Game mythos. But Director Ryuta Tasaki breathed new life into the flying turtle with a modern kaiju film in 2006, two years after the last Godzilla movie, Final Wars, came out. Sadly this film did poorly in the Japanese box office, as did Final Wars. It goes to show that people just weren't into kaiju films anymore. So Gamera was put to rest after The Brave. This doesn't stop the movie from being a solid entry.

The story begins in 1975, when a much older Gamera was defending Japan from a herd of Gyaos. They prove too much for him to handle however, so he's forced to blow himself up to defeat them. All hope is not lost, because many years later a new Gamera rises, which is good since Tokyo is getting terrorized by a human-eating beast dubbed Zedus. The Brave's intro is easily the best part of the film. It starts out very grim, almost as a continuation of how Awakening of Iris ended. (Since the film went out of its way to homage that, they should have just made it a continuation.) It's a very exciting start, plus we get to what a very beaten and old Gamera looks like. After the incredible intro, the film changes gears quickly for a more light tone. Despite the previous trilogy being such critically acclaimed for its dark tone, The Brave chose to go a more Showa route, light in tone and kids being the stars. This is not a bad thing however, since part of what makes Gamera Gamera is that he's a 'friend to all children.' You take that out, you take out a piece of character. Thankfully the movie avoids all the cheesy pitfalls of the post Vs. Barugon films.

The main character is a boy named Tomioka. From the get-go it's established he's a little lonely since his mom passed away. His dad is good, but also extremely busy managing a restaurant. Having a kid be the main character could turn off some people, and maybe that's part of the reason it didn't do too well. But he's pretty solid. The relationship between him and Toto (baby Gamera) is established really well. The other main character is a girl, a little older than Tomioka named Mai. She's a nice addition, a soft voice in the bunch. (Though if you see the dub you are going to laugh at how she says 'Toto.') Her heart surgery is a minor plot point and it's handled well, the viewer actually cares about her.

This being made in 2006, it was very interesting to see how far Japan had gotten in special effects. The movie shows that suitamation still works. The monsters look realistic and the destruction is fantastic. It's a truly a shame this was the last Gamera movie, I would have loved to see what else they could have done special effect wise. Zedus is the antagonist monster. While never achieving 'classic' status, he's a really cool addition to the roster.The film succeeds in making him a threat from the start. When you hear the sirens followed by people screaming/running then his roar, you know things are about to get deadly. What's interesting is that he actually eats people. Believe it or not, kaiju eating people is a rarity. In fact, the only other kaiju movie I can think of where something eats a person isin War of the Gargantuas. So that was a very cool thing to see. (It's not gruesome, but viewers know what's happening.)

The Gamera suit succeeds perfectly in what it was trying to achieve: a cute thing for viewers to root and feel sorry for when he gets beaten around. Seriously, it's impossible to not "Awww" when he shows up with those adorable eyes. The fight scenes are both incredible set pieces and satisfying. Not only is there traditional wrestling, but there's some unique maneuvers by Zedus, such as figuring out how to crawl on top of a bridge and climbing up a building to get to Gamera. The soundtrack is pretty solid. There aren't too many themes played, but when there was music playing it matched the respective scene well. The only standout theme is the end credits song. Another important thing to mention is where the story takes place. It doesn't happen in a very industrialized city like we're used to seeing in Godzilla movies, rather it takes place in a kind of village. It makes for some unique scenery.

Overall, Gamera the Brave is a nice entry to Daiei's (later bought by Kadokawa) premiere kaiju series. It may not be as dark or 'epic' as the Heisei trilogy, but it's a fun and heartwarming adventure for the whole family. It's a shame it didn't ignite a whole new series, but I guess in a way when Tomioka said "So long...Gamera" it was also the audience saying farewell. Maybe when GODZILLA is a box office hit we'll see a Hollywood adaptation of the fire-breathing turtle!

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Now when I say horror I'm not talking about slasher stories such as Friday the 13th or Texas Chainsaw, I'm not into gory slashers. The horror I'm talking about is combined with science fiction, like Alien or atmospheric supernatural stories. (Usually found footage related things.) Lately I can't say I'm truly into the genre, cause there's nothing really good anymore. But I'm not here to talk about the state of horror films, I'm here to talk about a lack of God in them.

The popular plot devices to use in horror movies are ghosts and demons. Demon possession is a very popular thing, always has been and always will be. Do you know what my problem is? God and angels are virtually never used in these movies. The word 'demon' seems to be overused and not fully understood by the people making these films. A demon is a fallen angel that sided with the Devil. Films like the Paranormal Activities highlight demonic attacks. Despite demons being used continually, you never see these characters seek out a Bible and want to learn how to protect themselves. Instead, the film is content with showing the characters' fear instead of them trying to grasp the situation. You would think being menaced by a demon would inspire them to crack open a Bible.

In all four Paranormal Activity movies, God isn't mentioned once. I find it interesting how the film industry is so eager to accept demons into their stories but won't allow Godly or angelic intervention. I also don't like how virtually all supernatural/demonic-attack movies never have happy endings. Instead of a character prevailing the attack through faith, they usually end up either completely possessed, or killed. Forbid if faith could be used in a positive light. And if there are demons, why can't angels come in? It's like the film industry doesn't want to add anything that represents Godliness and instead wants to focus on the evil. Interestingly, there was one movie three years ago called Legion. Actual angels appeared, but they are portrayed as the bad guys, sadistic, and they themselves were acting all demonic. (Even taunting the main characters.)

Yes, that is supposed to be one of God's angels. Great going Hollywood.

Really though, in today's world none of this comes as a surprise. Hollywood is so eager to use anything that would keep people's interest, but at the same time eliminate anything that is considered Spiritual or 'Biblically correct.' I'm not saying all the movies have to be preaching to the viewer, but it's sad that virtually none of the characters in these flicks knows what a demon truly is, which of course is the writer's fault. The movie House, which is based on the same book by Christian author Frank Peretti, shows us how well a dark and serious horror movie with a Christian touch works.Another example is the movie Priest, which is a dark, but really fun action movie with a Christian touch.

Friday, July 19, 2013

Beware the Batman is the latest in DC's animated programming block. There was never too much hype on this one, not many were impressed by the designs or description. And of course many were still mad at the cancellations of Young Justice and Green Lantern. However, in a recent interview with the team, you can see even they got how comedy is trumping serious action shows. It could have been taken as hyperbole for people to check out Beware, but I was intrigued and ready. The latest Batman show starts out with a very 'okay' premiere. It isn't bad by a long shot, it's just lacking pizzazz.

The story is rather simple. Professor Pyg and Mr. Toad kidnap some very rich people because...thanks to them the animals that once ruled Gotham City have been driven out? A bit strange but more on that later. With the help of Alfred, Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, goes to stop the two fiends. First off you'll notice this is taking place in the early years of Batman's legacy. Gordon isn't even a commissioner yet, he's a lieutenant. I'm personally not a fan of these 'Year One' type things, we want to see a Batman that's fully the character we know from the Justice League and comics. Despite the title, no one really 'bewares' the Batman since he isn't that tough at this point in time. I must jokingly say the title should have been 'Beware the Butler' since Alfred actually does just as much if not more than Batman.

I admire the show's boldness in using lesser known villains, but sadly the two antagonists are pretty generic with no interesting things about them. The biggest crime is Professor Pyg's portrayal. The majority of viewers is not going to have read the comic story which he was in, so they wouldn't know just how sad the portrayal is. Pyg appeared in the first arc of Batman and Robin (2007) and is one of the most sadistic psychopaths the comic world has seen. (I'd go as far to saying he's right up there with Joker.) I was sketchy on how the show would handle this hardcore character, and sadly my sketchiness was justified since he's nothing like his comic counterpart. In fact, you could replace him with a generic thug and it wouldn't have made any difference.

This is by far the most interesting take on Alfred. I'm sure a lot of viewers will dig it, but there are somethings I don't like. He's actually bigger than Bruce Wayne, and I just can't get into his voice. The animation is a change of pace from the previous Bat-shows, being CGI much like Green Lantern. It's solid and the fights look good, though Batman's mask looks way too...feline perhaps? Another character introduced is Tatsu Yamashiro, a young Japanese woman whom is known as Katana. She so far is the most interesting character, I look forward to seeing what she brings to the table.

Overall, an alright start to this new Batman toon. It's lacking the stellar plots and writing of The Animated Series and the fun of The Batman. With a pretty lackluster duo of antagonists, the story came out pretty average. But, this is just the premiere, so I'm assuming it'll get more exciting.

Sunday, July 14, 2013

A bit of an odd choice to the average person, since it's from a cartoon and probably wouldn't be considered a 'real song' to hardcore music listeners. But the truth of the matter is the show is filled with music that is a light in this very dark world. While there have been many songs in it on friendship, none are quite like A True, True Friend. This song relates to what's happening in the episode, but can still be heard on its own. It's about what being a real friend is like.

A True, True Friend helps a friend in needA friend will be there to help them see
It has a really nice message telling the viewers/listeners what a real friend should be like. The fact that it's genuine and insanely catchy (and of course since I like the show) is why it's one of my all time favorites. Reading an interview on Daniel Ingram has shown me he puts a lot of heart into each song, making them genuine with a great message to behold. A True, True Friend is a prime example, I look forward to seeing future songs he'll bring to the table.

What I'm Made of by Crush 40. Appearance: Sonic Heroes

Another strange choice, since this song is featured in a video game. One of the things I like about Crush 40's work is that while the music is in relation to the events in their respective games, the songs themselves can be listened to on their own and something could be taken out of them. Examples includeLive and Learn and Open Your Heart. What I'm Made of is my favorite for a few reasons. It's a power-encourager with an upbeat tone and motivating lyrics.

Try to reach inside of meTry to take my energyLet me show you just what I'm made of!
The song is talking about what's happening within the game of course, but if one listens to it, they can easily enjoy and take something out of it. Having the courage to fully show what you're capable of, not letting another bring you down and drain your energy. It's just a great song to listen to when one is happy or down. I've supported Crush 40 for many years, they're always producing quality work that sadly hasn't been heard all too much outside the gaming world.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

When one thinks of anime usually things like Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, Bleach, or One Piece come to mind. Dynamic fights, grand storylines, and bombastic characters. But underneath all that stuff you see in Shonen Jump lies a dark side. This darkness contains stories featuring human characters with pretty psychotic plots. This is stuff Western animation would never dream of doing. Serial Experiments Lain is one such anime. Much like the movie Inception, you can't turn away for a second otherwise you'd be completely lost. It's a show that will probably require a second and maybe even third viewing to fully grasp. It is by far one of the most intriguing things to come out of animation.

Picture the most psychotic and thought-provoking movie you have ever seen. Times that by two and expand it into thirteen episodes. That is Serial Experiments Lain. It's so complex that even trying to give a general outline of the plot is challenging. In starts out with a girl named Chisa Yomoda that commits suicide...while smiling. When something starts out with a schoolgirl smiling while committing suicide, you know this is not going to be a happy ride. The main character is an 8th grader named Lain. She at first is the definition of a shy, meek girl, someone you feel sorry for right off to bat. At home we see her parents are rather absent minded around her. Her dad is computer-obsessed and her mom just doesn't seem to care about her. Her older sister, 16, seems to be the only that's actually 'there.' This all seems pretty normal, right? Well, once the Wired gets involved, the strange happens.

What's interesting about this anime is that it can be viewed from different perspectives. One can view it as a psychotic story about a girl realizing she's not real. One can view it as a social commentary on the addictive use of computers. Or one can just see it as some weird anime that makes absolutely no sense. The Wired is the internet, just a slightly more futuristic version. The computer itself is explored in many different ways. Lain appears to become addicted to being in the Wired, and it becomes more of a reality than 'real life.' One of the parts I most liked was when 'taking on a different personality' was brought up. One said that most of the time a personality in the Wired is completely different than who the person really is. This mirrors internet users taking on a different identity than what they truly are, it's an easy thing to do. Now keep in mind this was made in 96, yet is still relevant today. It's a timeless anime.

Past the computer stuff, the show quickly becomes really strange. As you're struggling to keep up with it all, you're struck with quotes such as, "The other side is overcrowded. The dead will have nowhere to go." It's up to you to try and piece together everything for something coherent. Alice is Lain's one true friend, a likable character from beginning to end. She is a human, she convinces Lain of that. The general thing is the 'god of the Wired' says is that one doesn't truly need a body. This god was maybe the most interesting character. (His design is also something straight out of Bleach.) He claims to be god, and says one doesn't really exist in the 'real world.' He twists things, making Lain believe the real world isn't real and the Wired actually is. Lain challenges him with the question of what gave him the ability to do all the things he could. He explodes saying how can this be, that there had been a god all this time. You see, along with talking about computers/internet, the show also deals with theology, on the subject of the existence of a god. It's pretty interesting how one show manages to accomplish all of this.

While it may not seem too complex by the way I'm describing everything, the truth of the matter is that it's more complex than Inception. In the later episodes the Roswell Incident is brought up, complete with history and real life images. An actual alien appears in Lain's room, classic martian look. He doesn't stay long, he quickly disappears. It's important to mention he looks exactly like the alien on Dell's hardware, Alienware. Whether or not that was intentional is beside the fact. I was quite shocked by the appearance of this extraterrestrial, came out of nowhere. How it relates to the overall story is a mystery to this day. In the final episode we're hit with these thought provoking pieces of dialogue...

"What isn't remembered never happened."
"Memory is merely a record."
"You just need to rewrite that record."

When I saw those it instantly reminded me of 1984. In that story it's stated that if you change memories you can reshape the past. To destroy all remembrance of an individual or event would render it non-existent. There's plenty of stuff I didn't touch upon, but that's all things you need to see cause my descriptions wouldn't do them justice. Serial Experiments Lain is a must see, whether you like anime or not. It's something not easily forgotten, for it challenges the viewer with many subjects and allusions. You will fathom how human minds came up with this 13 episode story.

"What's it like when you die? It really hurts! :)" (I guess the smiley face was even used in the 90's.)

Monday, July 8, 2013

A man or woman whom is gifted with superpowers that makes a street, a city, or the world a better place. Ordinary citizens look up these heroes, to the point where they view them as gods. Instead of being an inspiring force, superheroes such as Superman and Wonder Woman are looked on as greater individuals. They are expected to 'save the day.' That is the problem, because superheroes are for the most part human, just with powers. Kingdom Come explores this and quite a few other things you don't see normally in comics. This story is over a decade old, but is still relevant, It will always be relevant. If you're a comic fan and haven't read Kingdom Come, go to your local store or buy it online. It is one of the greatest DC stories, wait, scratch that. It is one of the greatest stories of all time.

Kingdom Come can be looked at with different perspectives. One can view it as a question. What does it mean to be superhero? One can view it as a look at what happens when regard for human morals is thrown out the window. Or one can view it as an elseworlds look as the future world of the Justice League. The story is all that. Writer Mark Waid is no stranger to DC, easily one of the most well known and best writers in the comic world. From Tower of Babel to Superman: Birthright, he knows the characters well. The story takes place years into the future when the main heroes like Superman and Wonder Woman are no longer in business. There is no Justice League. Instead, new 'metahumans' run rampant, Unlike the heroes of old, they don't have much regard for human life. But where is Superman? After a big commotion with the metahuman Magog, he realized he wasn't truly wanted. Let's pause there. Superman's personal exile is played off well. Who is the most psychotic killer in all of comic land? The answer would be the Joker. (Though I'm sure Carnage fans will argue.) There are many that wonder why a superhero like Superman hasn't put an end to such a menace. The simple answer is that killing is wrong. But a lot of people don't see it that way. So when someone like Magog comes along and shows he's not afraid to step over that moral code, people rallied behind him when Superman brought him to court.

Batman on the other hand hasn't quite given up, on his city anyway. Now, the interesting part is that the story's main character is not one of the heroes, but a regular person. He is a pastor named Norman McCay who gets chosen by the Spectre to see the events which lead to armageddon. What I found intriguing is that according to the words he didn't believe God to have a face, rather as a force with many names. In that way he rediscovers Him in a whole new way. Back to the League part of the story, after an incident in Kansas with Magog, it's Wonder Woman that makes an attempt to convince Superman to back in action which in turn will inspire the other heroes. Superman has never been written like this before, passive and just completely absent. And soon after when he comes back he's put into position of being a world leader. Batman is much like his Dark Knight Returns counterpart. To see these heroes in such a state is truly interesting and needs to be seen by all.

Lex Luthor is still in business, using the situations of the world for his own benefit. You know things are wrong when Batman makes an alliance with Luthor. It's a truly unique thing to see, Batman gathering an army of young heroes working with Lex to combat Superman and the newly formed League. However, the most intriguing part of the story is Captain Marvel. He has a very strong presence later in the book. First off, it's an interesting thing to see Billy Batson fully grown, I don't think any story has shown us that. Secondly, it was very cool how strong Waid made him and how being Earth's Mightiest Mortal played a big part in the long run. His creepy smile was a very nice touch, since he had been brainwashed by Luthor. The fight between him and Superman doesn't disappoint. While it's fun to look at, the writing accompanying it is just as as amazing. Never before has a battle had such stakes and of course the fact that it's a fan favorite made it even more engaging.

While the writing is amazing done, (seriously, it reads like a novel) Alex Ross's majestic art was a key factor in the book's success. Never before has superheroes looked so awes-inspiring, which was appropriate. There's a really fantastic splash page (above) of Captain Marvel confronting Superman. Ross is an absolute genius when it comes to the brush, there's no way Kingdom Come would have been the same without his dynamic and realistic art. Seriously, it's almost like every panel is a high quality painting. I would recommend this book just to see how amazing the DC heroes can look. (It's also important to mention that Ross co-wrote the book with Waid.) There are virtually no complaints to be had with the story. Sure, I thought the whole League returning was slightly rushed. So when Superman came back everyone immediately sprang up to action? I would have liked to see him having a conversation with all of them. But, it doesn't hinder how majestic it is to see the League again for us and the people within the comic.

The League returning transformed the story into a more traditional adventure. Almost. The book never lets of go of prodding the reader to rethink the comic world. A scene that comes to mind is when Superman comes to the UN and tells the leaders that they're back and they're going to make things right. Usually that would be a good thing, but thanks to the narration we're left seeing something from the leaders' point if view. They are not truly in control, it's these heroes that call the shots when things get tough. Then later Superman has a prison built for metahumans that decide they don't want to follow his code of honor. This is interesting since there is no trial. If you don't follow Superman's way you're thrown into this detention center called Gulag. So despite the League being back, everything isn't as dandy as it should be. In the end, nuclear weapons are sent. Superman has the power to stop them, but he doesn't know if he should. Perhaps the missiles should hit, they would rid the Earth of superheroes and the planet would belong to humankind again. He leaves this decision to Captain Marvel, whom is both a god and a mortal. The dialogue is a little heavy handed here, but that's alright. In the end, rather than have a bittersweet or sad ending, it leaves us on a high note. The superheroes decide that's it time to work with humankind as opposed to above them. That is what Kingdom Come is about.

Kingdom Come isn't just another comic book. The amazing team of Mark Waid and Alex Rose see to that. It's a classic novel, looking at superheroes in a whole new way. Written in 1996, it will forever be relevant no matter how different comics become.